"Iguro-sama! Please let me in!" Chizuko stood by the gates of the serpent estate.
Obanai crossed his arms, preventing himself from reaching to open the gates, "Suzuki, I have already asked Kanroji to help move your things to the butterfly mansion. You have no business here anymore."
"I-Iguro-sama? D-Did I do anything wrong? I-I'm sorry! I-I will work harder and perform better! P-Please let me in," Chizuko broke down into sobs, please don't abandon me at this moment. She was that helpless little girl again, watching one of the most important people in her life leave her behind.
Maybe it is best she starved to dead when she lived alone, maybe it was best she was eaten by that demon, maybe it was best she did not meet Sanemi and Shinobu, maybe...
Obanai grabbed Kaburamaru who attempted to turn the door knob, "No. Suzuki, you have performed well. I have nothing else to teach you, it is time for you to achieve more."
Eh? Chizuko couldn't imagine Obanai would one day praise her, or at least say something close to praising her. But she would rather go back to the days where he scolded her everyday, where he ordered her around, where he picked out every tiny mistake she made.
Just to stay by his side for a little longer.
She didn't dare to tell Obanai her condition. Chizuko knew how much Obanai absolutely despised demons. What if he would be disgusted? Angry? Never wanting to see her anymore?
"I have made my decision, Suzuki, I hope you understand," Obanai was determined not to even glance at the door, "I look forward to working with you as partners."
Partners? Does he mean...
She will become a hashira if it is Iguro-sama's biggest wish.
But how can she become one with this 'identity crisis' now?
************************************************
Sanemi approached Chizuko who kept staggering away from him, "Oi brat! Stop it! You need to go back to Kocho now!"
"Sh-Shinazugawa-sama! I-I'm perfectly fine!" Chizuko stepped back from Sanemi. Nope, there was no way she was going back to Shinobu's at this hour. Like Obanai, she knew how Shinobu loathed demons, and the same goes to Sanemi. What if they kicked her out after she told them? What if they hated her if she confessed the truth?
And Chizuko couldn't stand being next to Sanemi and his rare Marechi blood.
Sanemi's scowl deepened. In his eyes, the brat had been crying in the cemetery from morning to afternoon and now it was evening. The reason of her drunken steps must be because she wasn't eating properly, and of course, everyone had heard of Iguro's sudden decision and Chizuko's irreversible eyesight.
"Look," Sanemi forcefully gripped Chizuko's shoulder. He felt he should do something, after all he was the first one who found her, who brought her back with Kocho. And he felt sorry for her eye. "You are going out for lunch with me tomorrow," Sanemi announced, "you cannot refuse."
E-Eh? Chizuko panicked inside, what in the world has she gotten herself into?
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Sanemi knocked.
Just why did he have a mission now?
He never complained about any missions, no matter how tough it might be. He thought of asking Kanroji or Kocho to take the brat out for lunch, but they were both on missions. He then thought of asking Himejima, but didn't want to bump into Genya who stayed there with him. Rengoku wasn't free as well, because Sanemi was going on this mission with him. He checked Uzui off the list, what if he introduced the brat to some kind of weird cuisine or alcoholic drinks? It really left him with no choices since he assumed the brat may not want to meet with Iguro for now.
That leaves him with...
"Oi, Tomioka," Sanemi seethed at Giyu who opened the door, "I have a favour to ask."
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Giyu and Chizuko walked side by side in silence.
Giyu peered at the red haired girl. He vaguely recalled picking her up in front of Iguro's estate a long time ago. He also remembered seeing her with the said hashira. She seemed close to Kocho too, he saw her almost every time when he stopped by the butterfly mansion.
"Woof! Woof Woof!" loud barking caught the duos' attention. Giyu almost jumped, halting his steps instinctively. Wasn't that the dog that chased after him whenever he went to town?
"Eh!!? It's you!" Chizuko's reaction was the exact opposite of Giyu's, "Long time no see! How have you been?" She knelt and rubbed the dog's back while it licked her hand and wiggled its tail enthusiastically. "Tomioka-sama!" Chizuko turned to Giyu and smiled, "Come and meet Ocha!"
Surprise filled Giyu's calm orbs.
"Come on, Giyu, don't be scared," Sabito grinned as he calmed the growling dog, "You can try petting it now."
"A-Alright," Giyu knelt beside Chizuko, following her instructions on 'how to make friends with a dog'.
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"A salmon daikon for this mister!"
Chizuko choked on her tea upon witnessing Giyu's shiny smile.
"Are you okay?" Giyu asked, his tone flat as still water. So... shiny, Chizuko stammered, "O-Of course I'm fine! Tomioka-sama! L-Let's eat!"
"Ano... Tomioka-sama?" Chizuko remembered, she had something important to ask Giyu, "I-Is your teacher Urokodaki-san?"
Giyu nodded, putting his chopsticks down.
"There's a boy I met in the final selection called Shimizu Haruto," Chizuko started.
************************************************
Obanai's eyebrows jumped and his dark aura grew as he watched Giyu pet Chizuko's head.
"Isn't that Chizuko-chan?" Mitsuri pointed at a familiar figure in the restaurant. Obanai was accompanying Mitsuri to lunch and the two ran into an unexpected scene.
"Iguro-san?" Mitsuri whispered, "Iguro-san, does Chizuko-chan have a crush on anyone?"
Obanai was caught off guard, "Wh-What!?" "Shhhh!" Mitsuri silenced Obanai who exclaimed a bit too loudly, "Iguro-san, Chizuko-chan is a teenager, not a little girl! It is only normal for her to start having a crush on someone! I see that she is familiar with Shinazugawa-san! Oh and Tokito-san! Chizuko-chan always cooks for him! I can't wait to help her find true love!"
Obanai's face grew darker and darker while Mitsuri babbled on excitedly.
No one is dating Suzuki, not before he has approved of someone.
************************************************
Walking down the corridors of the Ubuyashiki estate, Chizuko recalled her conversation with Giyu.
"T-Tomioka-sama? Can I ask you a question?" Chizuko clutched her teacup, suddenly finding the steam rising from her tea interesting. Giyu nodded, blinking at the serious tone the cheery girl. Chizuko's heart hammered in her chest, "Wh-What... What do you think of... perhaps... if a demon... or a half demon... retains his or her humanity?"
Giyu paused for a few minutes, Chizuko was about to apologise for weirding him out when he replied,
"I believe it exists."
Chizuko took a deep breath, she couldn't hide her eye from everyone forever.
Maybe she can start by telling Oyakata-sama.
Thud. Something, no, someone fell to the wooden floor near to the corner. Chizuko could smell a prominent, metallic scent of blood. Her breath hitched and nervousness surged in her veins, was it the Ubuyashiki family? Did something bad happened to them?
Arriving at the corner, Chizuko's stomach flipped,
"M-Muichiro-kun!!??"